What It's Good For: Taking high fidelity along with you in a palm-sized package.

Who It's Good For: Frequent travelers who own Bluetooth devices and like to listen to music; well-heeled audiophiles who appreciate great sound in a small form factor.

Limitations: No auto-off function, pricey.

Bottom Line: Hold this hotshot in your hand and feel its incredible power. Such sound has never shoehorned itself into such tiny speakers and been worthy of such praise. Even though you get a lot of original technology for your money, it's pretty expensive at $199.

A Close-Up Look At The Soundmatters foxL v2.2 Bluetooth Speaker

There are plenty of Bluetooth speakers in the world, but none are like the foxL v2.2. Even though it's a mere 5.6 inches wide, this 9.5-oz speaker rocks some downright amazing sound.

Although it feels like metal, Soundmatters has constructed the speaker out of something it calls "glass-filled composite," otherwise known as fiberglass, the same thing surfboards are made of. That makes it lighter than it would be if it were built entirely of metal. That light weight and its small size practically beg you to take it with you on your next trip.

We can thank ex-NASA engineer and actual rocket scientist Dr. Godehard Guenther for the clever ideas that went into this product. Revered in the audio industry, he's figured out unique ways to get maximum sound out of the smallest amount of space.

The speaker's two 25mm drivers are powered by four digital amplifiers, pumping out a total of 8 watts of power, which is a lot for a speaker of this size. Dr. Guenther has freed up space inside the speaker by moving the "BassBattery" toward the outside, where it's also utilized as a moving part that he calls a "moving wall radiator" that generates a surprising amount of bass.

Let's put it through its paces. After four hours of charging a battery that'll run for about five hours on a charge, the foxL was ready to go, its Bluetooth radio pairing up almost immediately with a laptop, iPhone and iPad 2. If you don't want to use Bluetooth, you can plug any audio device with a standard headphone jack into the foxL's auxiliary port.

So what is the overall effect of all this serious engineering? Astonishing sound, that's what. It's a kick to turn this thing on and hold it in your hand, feeling it rocking your arm from fingertips to elbow with its vigorous sound.

But it's when you put it on a solid surface that its true nature is revealed. There's actually enough bass pumping out of its little drivers to make you feel like moving your feet. Even though its optimal listening distance is about three feet away, it sounds good from farther out, too. Plug it into an AC outlet or USB port, and suddenly it's running on twice the wattage than the battery, giving it a noticeable increase in oomph. It's remarkable.

It also performs admirably as a speakerphone, and if you have it linked to a smartphone via Bluetooth, when a call comes in it immediately turns into speakerphone mode, letting you answer the call with a slightly awkward routine of pressing and holding a Bluetooth button. And its built-in mic faithfully reproduces your voice, sounding better than most speakerphones I've used.

Summing up, if you can afford it, you'll want to take this whippersnapper along with you on your next adventure. It's beautifully designed, pumps out plenty of clean sound even at low volume and plays loud enough to entertain a rowdy crowd.

Come along on a tour of the foxL Bluetooth speaker in this gallery:

foxL Bluetooth Speaker 2.2

Palm-Sized

The white button just above the Soundmatters logo is the one you push to answer the phone.

Back

Behind that grille is the battery that doubles as a mini subwoofer, and it does a great job of enhancing the bass in this tiny unit. On the right are the two volume controls.

Left Side

The 3.5mm mini jack on the top is for an external subwoofer. Below that is a LED charge indicator, and at the bottom, a mini USB port.

Kickstand In Use

The speaker stands up perfectly well on its own without using the kickstand, but it's welcome nonetheless.

Right Side

The top port is an auxiliary port where you can connect any audio device with a 3.5mm plug. The bottom port is for power from the AC adapter.

Bulging Drivers

The two 25mm dome speakers are pushed out toward the front, to give the inside of the speaker more room for bass to resonate.

foxL Diagram

Here are the details of the foxL Bluetooth Speaker. This graphic is courtesy of Soundmatters.

Series Supported by Energizer®

The Gadget of the Day Series is supported by the Energizer® Inductive Charger, which brings you the next generation of charging with Qi technology. Qi is the new universal standard for wireless charging. Energizer® has always been designed with performance and responsibility in mind ... now that’s positivenergy™.

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